Tag Archives: pizza

I’ve been reading a lot about decision fatigue, particularly related to meal planning. Do you struggle with meal planning? I’ll admit it is not my 100% percent favorite activity. I do try to follow a few rules that make it easier.

1) We always eat leftovers on Monday.
2) We always eat breakfast for dinner on Tuesday.

Boom! 2 out of seven days are done and I didn’t even have to think about it. Usually. Breakfast for dinner at our house is usually clear out random ingredients in the fridge into a hash or omelets. Or just pancakes. Because my kids like it, and one night a week with no arguing over dinner is AMAZING.

That last one may seem strange. But I went on an awful streak of planning big elaborate meals on Saturday night. The last thing I want to do on Saturday night is cook. But if I’ve planned pizza or burgers, I much less inclined to want to go out (since that is what I’d likely go get).

This pizza has been a HUGE hit for the adults in our house. The kids, I’ll be honest, stick to cheese or pepperoni. But I’m 100% ok with that. This sounds a little odd, but trust me. It’s delicious and simple. Perfect for this upcoming weekend. Enjoy!

1. Preheat oven to 425. Prepare pizza dough according to directions, including parbaking for 7 minutes.
2. Spread jam evenly over pizza. Crumble goat cheese over the top. Drape prosciutto slices around the top.
3. Bake until done, about 8-10 more minutes.
4. Whisk together lemon juice, oil, salt, and pepper. Lightly dress arugula with dressing. Serve on top of pizza slices or on the side. (avoid lots of dressing getting on the pizza).

Recipe notes: I’ve used a couple different brands of fig jam. My new favorite has been a balsamic fig paste. If your jam is very chunky, you can cut up the figs to spread them out. I’m too lazy. In searching online, there is a lot of division over putting the prosciutto on before or after baking. We honestly didn’t taste much difference. If you have a preference, follow your heart on that.

Summer is over, or at least it seems to be now that Labor Day has come and gone. However, my garden is just starting to come into it’s own with tomatoes and zucchini. Anyone else?

I saw this trick of shredding zucchini in with cheese on smitten kitchen awhile ago. I loved it in the original grilled cheese sandwich, and I have taken to trying it in other “cheesy” foods like quesadillas. Pizza seemed like a no brainer.

Full disclosure: I thought this was delicious. It tasted fresh and just like late summer/early fall. My kids definitely picked out all the zucchini they could. BUT, I have tried the zucchini/cheese trick with older kids (8 years old) and they liked it; even the kids who said they hated vegetables generally.

1. Heat oven to 400. Prepare pizza dough through parbake.
2. Spread sauce over dough.
3. Squeeze zucchini between towels to remove much of the moisture. Toss the zucchini with the cheese. Sprinkle over the pizza. Top with tomatoes.
4. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until desired doneness. Finish with basil before serving.

Notes: I’m writing the recipe here for one large pizza. For a quick dinner, we actually ate this on naan breads, which was great. English muffins would also work. Sometimes fun “dough” makes it more interesting to kids, too.

A recent radio show broadcasted that research from the CDC stated that kids in America are eating too much pizza, which is not a healthy food. I was a bit puzzled, so I wanted to get a little more information on the actual research.

The CDC report is actually on sodium intakes in children and adolescents in the US. Like adults, children and adolescents are consuming more sodium than they need. And even in children, this can lead to increased blood pressure.

Why do we care? First, we don’t want to start kids off with health problems, like high blood pressure. This will only increase the likelihood of these problems as adults. Second, sodium intake is a taste preference. As children are developing their tastes and dietary preferences, we want to give them a healthy palate. Reducing intake when young will hopefully help prevent them from over consuming as adults.

So where does pizza come in? Pizza is the number one contributor of sodium to children and adolescent diets. Bread, poultry, cold cuts, and sandwiches round out the top five. Noticably, these are foods that naturally have high sodium. This isn’t about teaching kids to not salt their food. It is about teaching them to watch their consumption of foods naturally high in sodium.

So can your kid eat pizza? Of course! But, beware of the amount of cheese and cured meats on your toppings. Stick for less cheese, fresh cooked meats, veggies, and homemade sauce if possible. All of these allow you greater control of the sodium going in. Here are a couple of my favorites for pizza:

Does anyone else enjoy the leftovers almost better than the actual Thanksgiving meal? It just isn’t Thanksgiving without the leftovers. That being said, I’m over it within 3 turkey sandwiches. Here a couple other ideas to spice up your leftover routine.

Thanksgiving Pizza

This is more of a general outline than an actual recipe. Start with pizza dough, parbaking per the instructions. After parbaking, spread on a thin layer of cranberry sauce. Top with leftover mashed potatoes, leaving a few mounded areas. Add shredded turkey, scoops of stuffing if desired, and any remaining vegetables. Lightly cover with shredded cheddar or colby cheese. Drizzle gravy over the top. Bake until heated through and crust is browned.

Don’t throw out your turkey bones! You can freeze them if you want to make soup later. But cooked down, they will give up plenty of meat and tons of flavor to make the best batch of soup ever. This is the only way my mom made “chicken” noodle soup when I was a kid.

Thanksgiving Shepherd’s Pie

I don’t have a picture of this one. But my sister-in-law does it every year. Place shredded turkey in the bottom of a casserole dish with corn, peas, carrots, or whatever vegetable you have handy. Pour on gravy to moisten. Top with a layer of stuffing, then a layer of mashed potatoes. Bake until heated through. It’s amazing.

Have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving! See you next week when the mayhem is over!

As a parent, I have to find a balance of serving foods I like (grown-up foods) and foods I know my daughter will eat. Serving grown-up foods is essential, as she won’t learn to like them without being exposed. But I do want her to actually eat dinner.

I have found pizza is good ground for testing grown-up flavors. Kids love simple pizzas, such as cheese or pepperoni. While I’m not opposed to those, I prefer something a little more interesting. The white sauce pizza I shared last week goes over well with kids, as does this. I was honestly shocked when I saw my little girl downing the pesto, but she loved it. The artichokes can be a little much for some young palates. You may want to try just a pesto sauce with regular mozzarella cheese first, and then gradually diversify the toppings.

This is my favorite pizza to make. Delicious and very simple, you can’t beat it. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes: I like this pesto recipe, but you can use your favorite recipe or jarred pesto. It all works. Just be careful to not spread it on too thick. Also, it is important to par-bake the crust for this pizza, as the oil from the pesto can seep into raw dough, making it stick to the pan. Please note that the picture is of a half pizza, but has a full can of artichokes on it. This many artichokes actually makes it hard to eat. Don’t worry if your pizza doesn’t look full of toppings. All of these toppings have strong flavors, so you don’t need as much to pack a good punch. Some chopped chicken also is good on this pizza.

Does Friday night feel like pizza night to anyone else? Whenever I plan my menu for the week, I’m always tempted by pizza on Friday night. It just feels right. While getting takeout or delivery is inticing, homemade pizza can actually be very simple. As always, I like being able to control the ingredients and add a lot more veggies.

I’m sharing two recipes with you, both of which I use all the time. This pizza dough is fairly foolproof, and I love the short rising time. The white sauce on the pizza adds a cheesy element, so you don’t need a ton for the topping, which cuts down on calories and sodium. Enjoy!

4. Spread sauce over par-baked pizza crust. Top with chicken, peppers, and onions. Sprinkle mozzarella and 2 tablespoons parmesan evenly over the top. Bake at 400 for 12-15 minutes, until crust is browned and cheese is melted.

Recipe notes: You could easily use some leftover chicken or grill the chicken as well. Make sure to chop it into small enough pieces for the pizza; big chunks are hard to eat. You can mix up the vegetables however you like. Fresh tomatoes are also great on this pizza. You could skip cooking the vegetables before putting on the pizza, but they don’t get fully cooked on the pizza.

1. Dissolve yeast in water. Stir in 2 cups of flour. While mixing, add in salt, olive oil, and enough of remaining flour that dough forms a ball that is tacky but not overly sticky. Knead for 5 minutes.

2. Divide dough in half. Roll each half into desired shape. Place onto baking pan that has been lightly greased (if desired) and dusted lightly with cornmeal.

3. Preheat oven to 400. Pizza dough will “rise” during this time.

4. Par-bake for about 7 minutes. You may need to prick the dough with a fork if it starts to bubble up too much.

5. Top with desired toppings and bake for 12-15 minutes more.

Recipe Notes: I usually use a mix of white whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour. It works equally well with all of one kind of flour, too. This does have to roll out fairly thin, but it isn’t a crispy, cracker-like thin crust. I have an “air-bake” pizza pan, but I still use the cornmeal. Along with par-baking, the cornmeal helps prevent the pizza from sticking to the pan.

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Disclaimer

This blog is meant to provide general nutrition information and healthful recipes. It is not meant to replace the advice of your personal health care provider. Before making any lifestyle change, I recommend consulting with a doctor or a registered dietitian. If you believe you see an error, please contact me. My goal is to help, not confuse.
If you are seeking personal dietary counseling, please contact me via email. I am happy to counsel you via electronic means (or in person if possible) or to assist you in finding a local dietitian, per your preference.